Greece started reopening to tourists in mid-June.- Aegean Airlines is offering a promotion in which you can buy one ticket to anywhere in Greece and get a second ticket 50% off.
- Tickets must be purchased by July 13, 2020, for
travel through October 31, 2020. - It's worth noting that American travelers are currently banned from entering European Union member countries and that the Centers for Disease Control still advises against nonessential travel.
Greece was one of the first countries to welcome back tourists. International flights to Athens and Thessaloniki resumed in mid-June, and international flights to all Greek airports followed suit on July 1.
In fact, to attract tourists, the BBC reported in May that Greece plans to temporarily cut taxes on transportation almost in half, with VAT being reduced from 24% to 13%, in order to make travel to and within the country cheaper (this would even apply to taxis).
Now, Aegean Airlines is offering a promotion in which you can buy one ticket to anywhere in Greece and get a second ticket 50% off.
Tickets can be either economy or business class, and the discount applies to both international direct and connecting flights to and from Greece. Tickets must be purchased by July 13, 2020, for travel through October 31, 2020. You can visit Aegean Air or Olympic Air's websites — Olympic Air is a subsidiary of Aegean Air and part of the Aegean Group — to see all the airports Aegean flies in and out of, and use the promo code X2FUNDEAL when you book to get the discount.
Some fine print: If you need to cancel your ticket, you'll need to cancel both. And, according to Aegean's website, whether or not you'll get a refund depends on the airline's cancellation policy. It says that "online ticket changes are allowed; however, a fare difference might be applied."
Greece has been widely praised for its swift response to the pandemic and thus saw relatively low infection rates. At the time of writing, Greece saw 3,622 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 193 related deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
However, in the US, the Centers for Disease control still advises against nonessential travel, and American travelers are currently banned from entering European Union member countries due to the rising cases of COVID-19 in the US.
While this ban is in place for the foreseeable future, the countries that are and are not on the EU's "safe list" — which includes nations with infection rates that are the same or lower than those of the EU, and which determines who can enter EU member countries — will be reviewed every two weeks, according to Business Insider's David Slotnick.
Those allowed into the country are tested for COVID-19 at random, per the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While travelers can move on to their final destination once tested, should they test positive, they have to quarantine for 14 days, the expenses of which will be covered by Greece.
From July 9, travelers entering Greece will also have to electronically submit a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) at least 24 hours before their departure (48 hours prior until June 8).
However, it's worth noting that Greece's entry requirements are subject to change, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As the US Embassy & Consulate in Greece notes, social distancing is in effect, and masks are mandatory on public transportation, in elevators, and in hospitals, but only recommended in other enclosed spaces. Strict guidance for hotel health measures are in place, as well as precautionary measures at airports.
For more information on the status of travel in Greece, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the US Embassy & Consulate in Greece.
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